The present invention relates to administering general anesthesia and particularly to an adaptor for a suction catheter for use with a patient on an operating room table in connection with an anesthesia machine.
In administering general anesthesia the patient is asleep with an oral or nasal breathing tube placed into the trachea. When the patient is emerging (awakening) from general anesthesia, the patient's mouth and the pharynx needs to be suctioned and secretions removed. Also, as the patient is going off to sleep, suction needs to be available in the event the patient should vomit. In practice, the anesthesia nurse will stand at the head of the operating room table adjacent the patient's head for manipulation of the suction catheter. The nurse will frequently place the suction catheter off to the side near the anesthesia machine after one suctioning event. Usually this procedure is repeated a few times before the breathing tube is removed. Very often the catheter, which is attached to long tubing that empties into a container, falls to the floor, the reasons for which will now be described.
Emerging the patient from general anesthesia is a critical moment because this is the time that a decision is made by the CRNA or MDA (anesthesiologist) as to when the breathing tube can be removed (extubation) and the patient will now be able to breathe on his own. Patients frequently emerge "wild and restless" (second stage of anesthesia or the stage of excitement when the patient is still considered anesthetized) and they are now aware of the tube in their throat and they do not like it. Usually an attempt is made to get their hands on the tube and remove it. If the tube is removed prematurely; 1) the patient can stop breathing and the tube would need to be reinserted emergently; 2) secretions or vomitus may slip down the trachea into the lungs causing an asperation pneumonia. If the catheter is now on the floor contaminated, the anesthesia personnel usually lose sight of the patient because it is necessary for them to quickly turn away to obtain another sterile catheter. It is at this time that one should not lose sight of the patient.